


A Lengthy Issue

by listenforthelove



Category: No. 6 - Asano Atsuko
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-16 18:38:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3498773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/listenforthelove/pseuds/listenforthelove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nezumi has returned, but there’s an elephant in the room Shion can’t quite overlook. Literally.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Lengthy Issue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ahiku](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ahiku/gifts).



> Birthday fic to Ahiku! Based on discussions in the headcanons thread over at the No. 6 forum: http://no6.createaforum.com/index.php.  
> Originally posted on tumblr, where Ahiku herself added some amazing artwork you should all go check out: http://ahikuboruchi.tumblr.com/post/112971535821/no-6-gift-fic-a-lengthy-issue

The night Nezumi returned, Shion was overcome by two emotions. The first was, unsurprisingly, his initial shock followed by a rush of joy, having waited for this moment for so long and yet never being sure if it would even come true, despite Nezumi’s promise. The second emotion also started in shock, but had developed into something else entirely that could be described as ‘annoyance’ at best and ‘slowly burning infuriation’ at worst.

The matter at hand was this.

Once upon a time, Shion had been the taller of the two. Granted, that was almost eight years ago now, but he had. Four years later, Nezumi had caught up with him by eight whole centimeters, which he never hesitated to point out after they’d taken their measurements and Cravat had made the futile effort of cheating those last eight centimeters for Shion with his tail.

But in the end, eight centimeters weren’t all that much in the grander scheme of things, and only really noticeable when they were standing very close, which was actually a nice little perk to the whole ordeal.

Then Nezumi had left, the years had gone by, and Shion had grown. Granted, not a terrible lot, but enough to almost make up for the difference with Nezumi. When he returned ( _when, not if,_ Shion had kept telling himself), they would be on equal terms in that sense, too.

Except Nezumi had had the nerve to grow as well, and quite a bit at that. So when he finally showed up again, during a stormy summer night on Shion’s balcony dripping from the rain, Shion had almost held him for one very tall strange intruder. Of course, Nezumi’s voice had barely changed, and Shion had no issue recognizing those beautiful grey eyes anywhere. Except – and maybe that had upset him almost more than being towered over in general – thanks to this stupid, infuriating _growing_ thing Nezumi had done, Shion had a lot of trouble looking straight into those eyes when Nezumi was standing up. And whether it was his imagination or not, Nezumi did seem to be on his feet a lot. He’d scoffed when Shion had first confronted him, giving him a spectacularly incredulous look.

“Seriously, Shion? You’d expect me to control my own body length? It’s not my fault you’re such a midget, y’know.” And: “Much as I’d like to sit on the couch all day and read, as you so eloquently put it, I couldn’t justify slacking off while His Majesty here was working five hundred hours of overtime a week.”

“I’d really rather do the cleaning myself, since I honestly wonder how much more you do than scowling at the dust until it runs away,” Shion  had countered, followed by a quick “and there’s way less than five hundred hours in a week, so technically I could never –”, at which point he’d gotten cut off by a pillow to his face.

But then later that day, Nezumi would sneak up right behind him, looming over Shion in all his new height. Shion was _not_ imagining it, dammit.

 

Of course, other people seemed to care significantly less. Karan had immediately pulled Nezumi down into a crushing hug when she saw him, those forty-or-so centimeters of difference be damned. Nezumi had however complained of a neck ache to Shion later in private.

And although it took more than a little effort to accomplish, Inukashi had absolutely no qualms about decking Nezumi and punching him in the face upon seeing him again (‘how dare you show your face here, you bastard!’), despite five misses that ended up against Nezumi’s shoulder. Nezumi pointedly avoided dogs for two full months after that little incident, not to mention Inukashi.

 

“I really don’t see why you feel the need to teach me five more dances,” Shion managed to bring out as he dropped himself onto his couch. He’d taken off his jacket seconds after Nezumi had pulled him inside after work and dragged him into a waltz, but even with just his shirt and tie, he’d gotten pretty warmed up.

Nezumi stood where he was and grinned down on him. “Really? Because I’d say you’re pretty out of shape, Mr. Committee Member. You could do with an exercise or two.”

“I have no choice but to work long days in the office, and you know it.” Shion unfastened his tie and looked up at Nezumi, catching his grey eyes for once. “Plus you’re just doing it to get close to me and show off your height.”

“Such bold accusations.” As if to make his point, Nezumi flopped down on the couch next to Shion, somehow still managing to do so rather gracefully despite his beanpole body. He then proceeded to throw his legs over Shion’s, which did absolutely nothing to undermine Shion’s accusation of him showing off his length.

Shion prodded said legs rather ineffectively, as Nezumi didn’t bother removing them. “I get it already, okay? I’m short, you’re the taller one. Your point has been made.”

“Oi, Shion.” Nezumi scrambled up and actually folded up his legs now. “You’re not serious, are you?”

“Of course I am. These are the facts, after all.”

“No, I meant about this being such a big deal to you.”

“It was a big deal to _you_ four years ago!”

Nezumi snorted inelegantly. “Shion. Get off it.”

“How can I if you keep emphasizing it?”

“ _Shion_.” In one smooth movement, Nezumi got up from the couch and pulled Shion along with him. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this,” he murmured as he pulled Shion close, close enough for him to rest his chin on top of Shion’s head.

Shion wisely kept a ‘you’re doing a rather good job proving my point here’ to himself as he soon realized that Nezumi was about to say Something Important. And considering Nezumi’s arms were around him and his body was warm against his, he didn’t really have that many complaints otherwise.

“Yeah, I do like to hold you close, just like this.” Nezumi’s words bristled against his hair. “Did it ever occur to that brilliant brain of yours that that might have nothing to do with wanting to show off my length whatsoever?”

“But…”

“Quite inconvenient, actually, as certain activities have become significantly harder than before.” And with those words, Nezumi pushed him aside just a little, just enough to look Shion in the eyes and to promptly press a kiss on his lips. “Got it now?”

“I guess,” Shion conceded.

“Very convincing.”

“Fine, I got it. Happy now?”

“Sure am.” A smirk started to appear on Nezumi’s face. “Little Prince.”

“ _Nezu_ – oh.” He caught the reference just in time to stop his scolding. “Huh. Then what does that make you, then?”

Nezumi took his sweet time coming up with an answer, a time he filled by kissing Shion again, though Shion would never admit he had to stand on the top of his toes to meet him halfway.

“The fox, I suppose,” Nezumi said at long last, at which point Shion’s brain had long lost the original topic of conversation.

“Oh. Eh…”

“Still so much to catch up on,” Nezumi murmured, “books, fighting and…”

“Teach me?” Shion asked, looking up into grey, grey eyes.

And maybe a little neck ache was a small offer to make if it meant finding Nezumi looking at him like _that_.

And really, Shion had the sneaking suspicion they wouldn’t be on their feet for long anymore now, anyway.


End file.
